A/N – For starters thanks so much for the reviews, they made me insanely happy! I will definitely continue this fic but updates won't be regular because I want to be happy with it and not rush it. I'm also finding it quite difficult to find the line between subtle humour and the downright ridiculous, I tend to lean more towards the downright ridiculous but I don't want to! So if anyone has any advice/constructive criticism that would be great or has any ideas – I am not known for my imagination so god knows why I'm even attempting to write something– just let me know : )
Snape's POV
While waiting for sleep to come last night I thought of a brilliant plan to manipulate the situation. I call it 'The Guide to Training My Half Blood Minx in 5 Easy Steps'. Get it? Half Blood Minx rhymes with Half Blood Prince! And people think I don't have a sense of humour. Personally I think I am hilarious, hence why 'The Guide to Training My Half Blood Minx in 5 Easy Steps' will hold some purely entertaining aspects, for me at least. And just to make it official I have dedicated an entire leather bound notepad to 'TGTTMHBMI5ES' so I can keep can track of progress and add to it as I see fit. It is now time to implement Step 1: Making Potter Realise He Is A Submissive.
As luck would have it my first class is Gryffindor/Slytherin 3rd Year Potions. As the incompetent brats filed into my classroom I catch Potters eye among the rest of the insolent Gryffindor's. I fix him with a glare that would have the first years in tears – and has on occasion, I can see a brief moment of hurt flash in his eyes before he covers it with anger. He stares right back at me with that look, the one that says 'yeah, and? Is that all you've got?', the one that goads me. Right now I want nothing more than to show him who is in charge, as his Dominant, make him submit to me, to see the acceptance of his submission in her eyes. It would be beautiful, he would be beautiful. The gift of submission is the most precious gift of all, one to be respected and cherished. I could give him that, would give him that, gladly.
My mind is brought back to the present as he breaks the glare – well what was originally a glare but what transformed into a look of protective longing, he looks taken aback and shuffles to take his place in the back of the class. I certainly hope nobody noticed the slip of my 'Cold-Hearted Bastard Mask'. It appears luck is on my side today as the class are far too distracted with the O.W.L level potion on the board. I curl my lip in satisfaction; this lesson will be very entertaining. Giving them this potion to brew will ensures mistakes, especially from the World Class Brewer, Potter. I even hope it manages to trip Granger up, now wouldn't that just be the icing on the cake, or if you prefer, the collar on the Sub.
I was not disappointed, Potters incompetence was rather spectacular I must admit and I find myself looking forward to the many detentions to come. He even managed to screw up before Longbottom, although that was mainly due to the fact Longbottom was too scared to even start brewing, which is a whole new level of ineptitude even for him.
Awarding him a months' worth of detentions with two hours every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday should give me enough time for Step 1 and begin on Step 2: The Art of Submission.
Harry's POV
As I walked into the dungeons Snape fixed me with his most hateful glare, I can only assume the reason behind it is my existence and presence in his class. In return I throw him what I hope is a look of defiance but I think it came across as more of a look of disrespect. Crap. This doesn't bode well me for me. I try to look away but something keeps me there, as if I'm paralysed, I can't look away until he releases me from his gaze. Because that's what it is now; a gaze. Professor Snape is gazing at me. His dark eyes are no longer filled with such hatred but I can't place the expression and emotion in his eyes. It looks so foreign in place of the cold, hard stare. What's weird is that I feel privileged and honoured to be seeing Snape with his mask so completely dropped. I realise that that is what it was, a mask. A mask to protect him from hurt, a mask to keep him strong. I feel like an intruder, looking deep into his soul and its beautiful and I want to stay here forever, sheltered and safe.
I have to look away. This is too much. It's wrong. I can feel the connection again; it's like its pulsing and growing the longer I look into eyes. I can't let it. I don't want it or need it. But it feels so right, like I finally belong.
Crap. Did I actually just think that?! What the hell is wrong with me? Ha 'like I belong' what total bollocks. I must be going crazy, that's the only explanation.
The connection feels like its wavering, I'm able to look away for what feel like the first time hours but what could only have been seconds, but not before I see a flash of… something, was it hurt? No it couldn't be, that's ridiculous, even more ridiculous than my 'like I belong' brain fart. His cold mask is back in place. The connection is severed and I can't help but feel disappointed, like something is missing, like a part of me is missing, and I immediately wish for it back if only for a moment, even if it is with Snape. Yep, I'm definitely on the train to Crazyville.
I force myself to move to the back of the class and take my place alongside Ron. He's giving me a funny look and I hope to God his truly abysmal observation skills have saved him, and me, from noticing my strange staring match with Snape. It hasn't. I tell him I was just lost in my head worried about the whole Sirius-Black-escaped-from-Azkaban-to-murder-me situation. Relief floods through me when he grunts and returns to looking at the blackboard with what can only be described as a look of total horror.
And now I see why. What Snape has prepared for this lesson, well I say prepared but I use the term very loosely, all he's done is write the name of potion and its ingredients on the blackboard with 'in silence' in capital letters and underlined three times. It's an O.W.L level potion. No wonder Ron looks horrified. I'm not even sure Hermione could brew it to her usual perfect standards. It's nice to see that teachers put so much effort into lesson plans, and our education might I add. I'll bet it took Snape all of 30 seconds to think of that, and I'll bet he didn't even write it on the board himself, just charmed the chalk to do it for him. Lazy bastard. Evil bastard more like – how the hell does he expect us to brew that? Unless he doesn't and he's just using it as an excuse to humiliate and punish us when we get it wrong. Yes, I bet that's it, the wanker.
The methodical, almost rhythmic, chopping and rushing of ingredients gives me time to think. What the hell was that at the beginning of the lesson? Why do I miss it? Why do I want more?
I was so lost in thought that I didn't notice myself adding the wrong ingredient. My cauldron begins to smoke and bubble alerting Snape to my inevitable failure. I watched his approach, robes billowing out around him and I can't help but notice his regal elegance, he owns the room and everything in it. Including me. His presence is overwhelming. He vanishes my attempt at the potion before it has the chance to explode with a murderous expression on his face. I don't know how he can be so annoyed; it's his fault for setting us a potion way beyond even Hermione's abilities. He looks down on me somewhat smugly and makes some crack about me screwing up before even Neville and how I've endangered the entire class and I won't be the Boy Who Lived much longer if I keep it up. The Slytherins erupt into laughter and start doing their stupid dementor impressions. That's the humiliation over, here comes the punishment. It's far worse than is justified. One whole month of detentions. I don't miss the look of satisfaction in his eyes.
A/N – When I have finished the story completely I might put in an extra chapter which is wholly devoted to 'The Guide to Training My Half Blood Minx in 5 Easy Steps' and make it really detailed after Snape will have kept adding to it and evaluating its success during its use because I think it will be fun to write!